VAWG training for public professionals

Onkar Sahota: What training and other support for public service workers, including the police, dealing with people who may have suffered from or be at risk of Violence Against Women and Girls, is provided by your VAWG strategy?

The Mayor: The VAWG Strategy commits to working with partners to understand, develop practice and improve our response to victims of VAWG. While we would expect the responsibility for training to sit with employers, I have funded some direct training for frontline professionals. Examples include the Rape Crisis Centres regular delivery of training to key agencies, including the police. Another example is the recent funded training delivered to front line professionals regarding Harmful Practices which had the specific aim of creating awareness and enhancing understanding of how best to deal with victims, survivors and those at risk of this form of VAWG.

Police officer training in de-escalation tactics (2)

Siân Berry: Has every Metropolitan Police (MPS) officer who has been equipped with a taser also been trained in methods and tactics to de-escalate any confrontational situation?

The Mayor: As outlined in the response to Mayor's Question 2020/2176, de-escalation training is a fundamental element of officer safety training which is mandatory for all officers. All officers who have been equipped with a taser are subject to regular officer safety training.

Recruitment of Police Officers from Outside of London (2)

Caroline Pidgeon: Following the concerning statistics showing that the Met still has a very long way to go before it becomes reflective of London’s diverse communities, do you think the decision in November 2018 to re-introduce the recruitment of Met officers from outside London has further impacted on the lack of diversity within the Met? Do you regret this change in policy?

The Mayor: Both the Commissioner and I are firmly committed to ensuring the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is fully reflective of the diversity that we celebrate in London.
Back in November 2018, the MPS made the decision to pause the requirement for London residency in order to join the MPS. Given the population growth in London and the huge policing challenges from a changing terror threat to tackling violent crime, the MPS needed to grow officers quickly to police the capital. Neither, I or the Commissioner regret this decision.
However, it is right that we continuously review this decision, as I know the MPS have been doing to ensure the pause remains absolutely necessary.

Met police social media accounts

Unmesh Desai: How many separate social media accounts are affiliated to the Metropolitan Police Service? Please provide the details of each of these.

The Mayor: We are able to provide specific keyword search data relating to the topics requested from the corporate Twitter account, the 32 borough Twitter accounts, and seven specialist unit Twitter accounts (for example, the Roads & Transport Policing Command) covering January to June 2020.
These 40 accounts are the most active and most followed Twitter accounts the MPS operate. The data provided relates solely to these accounts.
The MPS operates more than 1000 social media profiles across all major platforms including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, NextDoor and others.
The MPS operates more than 1000 social media profiles across all major platforms including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, NextDoor and others.
The majority of our profiles are on Twitter at a hyper-local level covering the hundreds of neighbourhoods and wards across London. In addition, there are social media profiles for boroughs specialist units, corporate accounts, senior leaders and subject matter experts.
A list of borough twitter accounts is available here: https://twitter.com/i/lists/198682513
A list of neighbourhood accounts is available here: https://twitter.com/i/lists/165394527

Violence suppression units social media posts

Unmesh Desai: How many posts on social media have the Met made regarding the new ‘Violence Suppression Units’ and the work they have been doing in the last six months?

The Mayor: We are able to provide specific keyword search data relating to the topics requested from the corporate Twitter account, the 32 borough Twitter accounts, and seven specialist unit Twitter accounts (for example, the Roads & Transport Policing Command) covering January to June 2020.
These 40 accounts are the most active and most followed Twitter accounts the MPS operate. The data provided relates solely to these accounts.
The MPS operates more than 1000 social media profiles across all major platforms including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, NextDoor and others.
Tweets from MPS Twitter Accounts (corporate, borough & specialist units) using the phrase “violence suppression unit” “VSU” (and variations thereof) in the past six months:

Murders of Bibaa Henry and Nicole Smallman (2)

Navin Shah: The mother of the two sisters, Mina Smallman, has raised other concerns about the police handling of this case. She states that the police failed to respond quickly enough when the two women went missing, leading to family and friends taking on the search themselves. She points towards a culture of institutional racism that remains in the police force. In light of this event and the stories we have seen come out of the Black Lives Matter movement, is it time for evaluation of institutional racism in the police?

The Mayor: Londoners will rightly be disgusted by the appalling murder of Nicole and Bibaa, and the MPS’s handling of their disappearance and murder. The two officers that grossly disrespected the sisters’ in their death are being investigated to see if racism played a part in their actions.
Despite progress made since the MacPherson Review, Black communities continue to have different experiences with policing. It’s vital that our police service has the trust of the communities it serves so that every Londoner, regardless of race or postcode, has confidence they’ll be treated and supported equally. This is why I have commissioned an urgent Action Plan that will focus on securing greater trust and confidence in policing, particularly amongst Black Londoners.
I am committed to tackling the issues of institutional racism head on and will continue to fight for our disproportionality affected communities in London. I stand in solidarity with those saying Black Lives Matter.

Domestic abuse social media Met Police

Unmesh Desai: Across the Met Police’s social media accounts (including Borough Command Unit accounts) how many posts were made relating to domestic abuse in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 so far?

The Mayor: We are able to provide specific keyword search data relating to the topics requested from the corporate Twitter account, the 32 borough Twitter accounts, and seven specialist unit Twitter accounts (for example, the Roads & Transport Policing Command) covering January to June 2020.
These 40 accounts are the most active and most followed Twitter accounts the MPS operate. The data provided relates solely to these accounts.
The MPS operates more than 1000 social media profiles across all major platforms including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, NextDoor and others.
Tweets from MPS Twitter Accounts (corporate, borough & specialist units) using the phrase “domestic abuse” (and variations thereof) in the past six months:

Police officer training in de-escalation tactics (1)

Siân Berry: What training do Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers complete in de-escalation tactics? Could you detail: a) all the training courses available related to this topic, b) the time taken to complete this training, c) how many officers have completed this training, and d) how often officers are expected to attend refresher courses on these tactics?

The Mayor: Officer Safety Training (OST) is delivered to all recruits during their foundation training and is refreshed twice yearly for all officers. De-escalation, or ‘tactical communication’ as it is referred to, is taught consistently within officer safety training.
Every recruit receives OST training including a 60 minute lesson on day 1 on Tactical communication. This lesson includes the ‘confrontational handling model’. This topic covers how officers can use communication to diffuse a situation rather than using force, however, it accepted, that certain volatile situations require physical intervention first. In addition to this, recruits are given a 45 minute lesson on day 1 on The National Decision Model (NDM) in which instructors emphasise communication as the first tactical option over force wherever possible. Both NDM and tactical communication are themes running through the 5 days of OST within recruit training.
In addition to recruit training, regular officers are required to undertake 12 hours OST training per year (which equates to a twice yearly refresher). The NDM is discussed and applied every time, with officers being reminded of their ‘options and contingencies’ and tactical communication being at the forefront of their options to consider.
Training for new joiners over the last annual cycle was delivered to 4070 members of staff. For the wider workforce, the MPS schedule approximately 27,000 places (twice a year) for the Bi-annual Officer Safety Training.
Outside the Officers Safety Training curriculum and public order training, induction courses for new officers and staff involve relevant material, albeit not specifically categorised as ‘de-escalation:
Equality and Diversity - Outline the concept of communication and the factors that may influence interaction with colleagues from different backgrounds and how miscommunication can be reduced
Public Protection - Outline some ways to reduce the potential barriers to effective communication with victims and witnesses
Mental health and the Police - Demonstrate how communication skills may assist in a response to a person with mental health issues or a learning disability

Officer assaults

Unmesh Desai: Please provide the total number of assaults on officers in May and June 2020, including any related to COVID-19 offences.

The Mayor: Operation Hampshire is the MPS initiative introduced to focus on officers and staff who are assaulted whilst on duty. The operation aims to establish a clear picture of assaults, to support those assaulted on duty, and to support the MPS’ efforts in prosecuting offenders and achieving a successful outcome at court.
Below are the recorded figures for assaults on police officers or staff. Please note that the data can be subject to change based upon final closing classifications.
The figures below include COVID related assaults, however; in addition, there is information below to cover that aspect.
Assaults on officers or staff (April – June 2020)
Victim Count
April 606
May 688
June 791
COVID-19 Related Assaults
The MPS started tracking all COVID-19 related assaults on the 20th March when it was recognised that a trend was appearing where COVID was being threatened or mentioned in certain assaults. The following information is current up to 5th July 2020:
119 police officers or staff reported being coughed with the suspect mentioning / threating they had COVID-19
49 police officers or staff reported being spat at combined with the suspect mentioning / threating they had COVID-19
239 other assaults involved spitting without a threat of COVID-19.

Stop and Search Community Monitoring Group reviews of body worn video (2)

Siân Berry: Currently there is no independent oversight of footage of stops and search incidents captured on Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) body worn video (BWV) cameras, since Community Monitoring Groups are no longer provided with viewings. In January 2020 you said: “I want to see this problem sorted as quickly as possible.” Given it is now July 2020, when will Community Monitoring Groups be able to resume viewings of BWV footage?

The Mayor: Body Worn Video (BWV) provides an important opportunity for scrutiny and accountability and I am committed to ensuring Community Monitoring Groups (CMGs) have access to this as part of a broader approach to transparency and accountability. My Deputy Mayor and I have raised this with the Commissioner, and I’m assured that the Met understands the urgency and is committed to enabling the viewing of unredacted BWV footage as part of essential stop and search scrutiny. Met officers are working through the Data Protection Impact Assessment with the CMGs to find a way forward that balances the individual data rights against the wider public interest and that enables the reviewing of BWV to be reinstated as quickly as possible.

ASB and safety around Burnt Oak station

Andrew Dismore: Burnt Oak ward Councillors have raised with me repeated concerns about alleyways around Burnt Oak station and Back Lane, where there is a serious problem with drug dealing and ASB. Will you put pressure on Barnet Council to agree to a plan of action to tackle these problems, and a timescale to implement it?

The Mayor: I recognise how distressing ASB can be and that it can escalate to more serious crimes such as drug dealing which is why ASB is a mandatory priority for all London Boroughs as set out in my Police and Crime Plan and the MOPAC performance framework.
Barnet Council is well aware of the problem and is working closely with the Met to tackle it. The Safer Neighbourhood Teams (SNT) are actively tackling drug dealing in Burnt Oak; Patrols, supported by partners from Barnet Council, have focused on this area and Community Protection Notices have been served on several individuals. The team are currently targeting a small number of premises believed to be linked to drug dealing and other incidents of ASB. North West BCU ran ‘Operation Tutti’ in this area in the week commencing 29 June which resulted in 162 Stop and Searches, 25 Arrests (the majority for drugs supply), 27 Weapon Sweeps, 37 Drug seizures and 5 weapon seizures. The SNTs continue to work with Barnet Council and crime prevention officers (DOCOs) to identify long term solutions.

Non-lethal weapons

Susan Hall: Excluding Tasers, batons, and pepper spray, what non-lethal weapons does the Met have? (Please include how many of each)

The Mayor: The less than lethal option available to the MPS excluding Tasers, batons and pepper spray is AEP, Attenuating Energy Projectile. There are currently 102 of these devices owned by the MPS, they are commonly referred to as Baton Guns. They are operated by Firearms and Public Order Command.
The carriage, deployment and use of AEP, either as a Firearms Less Lethal Option, or in Public Order, is subject to Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and force policy/guidelines. AEPs have never been discharged on UK mainland in a public order situation. They have, however, been used as a less lethal option in firearms situations.

DNA website

Susan Hall: Has the Met ever tracked down a criminal using DNA website matches, if so, how many, and for what crime types? If not, are there any plans to do this in the future?

The Mayor: The MPS does not use any DNA website services at present.
The MPS is steered by national guidance and are represented at key national working groups assessing emerging technologies in order to keep informed on the legal, ethical and technological impacts.

Police force used against Black individuals

Caroline Pidgeon: Data for January and February of this year shows that black men accounted for 33 per cent of incidents where police force was deployed, despite black Londoners only making up around 12 per cent of London’s population. Why do you think this is, and how are you working to improve relationships between those in BAME communities and the police?

The Mayor: In January and February this year, Black Londoners made up 8,703 of 26,275 incidents of use of force. This is 33 per cent, compared to 32 per cent in the same period last year. These figures are closely align with the custody population and the breakdown of those stopped and searched.
This does however underline the need to look at both the custody population and stop and search, alongside broader use of force, where Black Londoners are disproportionately represented. This disproportionality leads to distrust and a lack of confidence in the Police in Black communities. The MPS recognise is vitally important that they use their powers professionally, respectfully and proportionately and though steps have been taken, there is still room for improvement.
This is why I am launching an urgent new Action Plan for improving Trust and Confidence, Transparency and Accountability, developed with representatives from the Black community alongside the Met, to look at practical steps on how we can reduce this disproportionality.

Police contact tracing

Susan Hall: It has been reported that some police forces are looking to provide their own Covid19 contact tracing system. Is the Met exploring this?

The Mayor: The MPS is not exploring the use of a separate COVID-19 tracing system.
The report that some police services are doing this has been was refuted by both the Government and by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC). Police services are using the same NHS Test and Trace Service as everyone else.

Disorder in Brixton (1)

Peter Whittle: I have seen on social media the scenes of violent disorder in Brixton on the night of 24/25 June 2020 (unreported by the MSM for 12 hours) following the ‘Brixton Black Lives Matter live music protest’. How many police officers were injured during the course of that evening’s events?

The Mayor: On the evening of 24th June 2020, the MPS responded to an unlicensed music event (UME) in Brixton. UMEs are unlicensed and unregulated events that attract acts of serious violence and Anti-Social Behaviour. In responding to the UME on the 24th June, twenty-two MPS officers were injured.

Panorama (1)

Peter Whittle: In the BBC Panorama TV programme broadcast on 22 June 2020, the Metropolitan Police’s head of counter-terrorism, Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu explained that far right activity has jumped from around 5% to 10% of the police time in terror related cases. Probably due to time limitations, he did not explain where the other 90% comes from. Do you have these figures?

The Mayor: The MPS states that around 80% of Counter Terrorism Policing investigations nationally relate to so-called Islamist Terrorism, 10% relate to Extreme Right-Wing Terrorism and the remaining 10% relate to other ideologies, such as Northern Ireland Related Terrorism, LASIT (Left, Anarchist, Single Issue Terrorism) or cases where the ideology is mixed or unclear.
However, it is important to note the rise in Right-Wing extremism and its significant threat. Since March 2017 there have been 8 Extreme Right-Wing terrorism plots foiled by the police and security services. During the same period there were 16 so-called Islamist plots foiled and 1 designated as “other”. Far-Right referrals to the Government’s Prevent strategy have also been increasing and in the latest released statistics (2018/19), for the first time, the majority of cases that received specialist support were for concerns about suspected Far-Right radicalisation.
This mayoralty has done more and invested more than any other in countering hate, intolerance, extremism and radicalisation. My Countering Violent Extremism Programme identified new, improved and renewed opportunities to counter all manifestations of extremism and my Shared Endeavour Fund is investing in civil society groups delivering work which counters extremism from across the ideological spectrum.

Panorama (2)

Peter Whittle: In the BBC Panorama TV programme broadcast on 22 June 2020, counter-terrorism chief Assistant Commissioner Neil Basu explained the threat level of terrorism from the far right this country currently faces. How many far right terror plots have been detected by the Metropolitan Police over the last five calendar years and of that number, how many custodial sentences have been handed down by the courts?

The Mayor: Nationally there has been a total of eight Right-Wing disrupted plots since 2017. Data prior to this date is not publicly available.
Aside from occasions where the sentencing outcome is awaited or where the subject is still awaiting sentencing, nationally during the calendar years of 2015-2019, there have been 86 convictions for Right-Wing terrorism related offences, of which 63 have received immediate custodial sentences.
The data above is at a national level to remain consistent with the information provided for the Panorama program and with the Home Office publication of terrorism statistics. Providing a London-only viewpoint of this data is contrary to the position on publishing terrorism data.

Black Lives Matter (1)

Peter Whittle: I understand that one of the declared aims of Black Lives Matter UK is to ‘defund’ the Police. Given the scale of the funding problems facing the GLA at the moment, do you think this would be a good idea?

The Mayor: I believe it is important that as a nation we invest properly in all of our public services.
Racial equality and social justice should not be at odds with a well-resourced police service. During my Mayoralty I have done everything in my power to support the Met in the face of sustained cuts to Government funding for policing and community safety. Today, City Hall provides a higher proportion of the Met’s budget than at any other time in its history.
But policing is just one element of a properly functioning and safe society, and it is vital that investment is also prioritised upstream, in education, health and youth services – protecting the vulnerable and encouraging our children and young people to reach their potential. As Mayor I have set up England’s first Violence Reduction Unit and invested £70 million in programmes that provide positive opportunities for young people and support for families and communities. But as Mayor there is only so much I can do to attempt to mitigate years of nationwide austerity and I continue to call on the Government for action to properly fund all of our public services.

Colin Close

Andrew Dismore: I have been receiving reports of gatherings of dozens of people at Colin Close, Colindale breaking rules on the size of gatherings and social distancing and committing anti-social behaviour, most evenings from 7:30 pm. What action can you take to disperse this group and stop them from doing this again?

The Mayor: Throughout COVID-19 pandemic and the associated lockdown and imposition of social distancing rules, the MPS has worked with Barnet local authority to respond to groups in parks and other public spaces. Colin Close is located immediately adjacent to a busy shopping area and since lockdown the MPS has received calls complaining of small groups of individuals in the street generally drinking/talking. Officers have been deployed and found groups had moved on of their own accord or were spoken to using a 4E’s (Engage, Explain, Encourage, Enforce) approach resulting in them moving on. The Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT) have conducted additional patrols in the area. Barnet local authority are hoping to deploy additional CCTV into the area and there have been no further calls since 30th June. If the problem persists the SNT will work with Barnet local authority and residents to consider a Public Spaces Protection Order for the area or Criminal Behaviour Orders for individuals regularly causing ASB. The evidence for such orders takes time to gather and the MPS must consider both residents and the rights of the public to use public highways/freedom of association when such orders are sought.

IOPC investigations

Jennette Arnold: Please provide details of how many incidents the Met Police have referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) and provide a percentage breakdown of the category or type of incidents that have been referred in each of the following years 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date.

The Mayor: The table attached shows the type of referrals to the IOPC in each year. It is important to note, that in August 2018 a new recording system was introduced that changed the categories of referral. Hence why some columns are zero in earlier or later years. Where possible the table has been arranged to show the comparable reasons for referral. For example, in 2017 there are seven discrimination referral categories, following the system change in 2018, all these categories would be included under ‘Criminal offence or discriminatory behaviour likely to lead to discipline’. All of the reasons that are highlighted are the current referral reasons.
Death or Serious Injury (DSI) referrals – DSI is a mandatory referral, any incident where there is an indication that police contact (direct or indirect) may have caused or contributed to the death or serious injury of a member of the public. Serious injury is defined as an injury which would be classified by the CPS as ‘ABH’ or above. This is a wide definition as the threshold for an ‘indication’ is low and it results in a large number of referrals. In addition, the IOPC conducted referrals workshops with all forces approximately 18 months ago. This also led to an increase in referrals as it became apparent that a number of forces were not applying the definition accurately on every occasion, for example persons deceased following a missing person’s report. The workshops have provided all officers with a better understanding of the IOPC definition and therefore referrals have increased.

Met Police disciplinary action

Unmesh Desai: How many Met officers were a) disciplined or b) dismissed as a result of racially discriminatory behaviour in each of the following years? 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 to date.

The Mayor: While very rare, the Metropolitan Police Service take any and all allegations of racist behaviour extremely seriously.
Calendar Year
Officers
2017
2
2018
6
2019
1
2020
0
Grand Total
9
These cases include those that had an outcome of “Case to Answer” and the actions were either “Management Advice” or “Final Written Warning”.
b) Officers Dismissed
Calendar Year
Officers
2017
1
2018
1
2019
0
2020
0
Grand Total
2

BAME officer attrition

Unmesh Desai: What was the BAME officer attrition rate in each of the following years: 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 so far? Workforce data reports on the Met’s website only cover from mid-2019.

Annual attrition rates can be found in Table 9.2 (Historic Attrition Data) of the MPS workforce data report that is published on the MPS website: https://www.met.police.uk/sd/stats-and-data/met/workforce-data-report/
Data is provided for the last ten years, as well as a comparison of overall attrition as compared to BAME and female staff. The BAME officer attrition rate for financial year to date can be found in Table 9.1 (Attrition Profiles) and this is updated monthly.

Arrests for publication of drill music

Siân Berry: Could you tell me: a) the number of arrests the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has carried out for the publication of drill music, b) the reasons for these arrests by appropriate crime category, c) the number of charges brought forward for the publication of drill music, and d) the number of on-going investigations into the publication of drill music?

The Mayor: There are no offences in relation to the ‘Publication of Drill Music’, and therefore no individual has been arrested or charged.
The number of investigations is not quantifiable as there is no offence per se. Any investigation where Drill music/video content may be used as evidence would form part of wider investigation. This is the case for any open source material, and would be reviewed for its evidential value within criminal justice procedures.

Anti-riot vehicles [1]

Andrew Dismore: The Metropolitan Police have started the process of replacing their heavy anti-riot vehicles: in relation to the vehicles that are to be replaced, when were they first introduced to the Met; why are they considered in need of replacement; what mileage have they each done; and on how many occasions have they been used operationally?

The Mayor: The MPS operates a number of armoured personnel vehicles. The current vehicles are used periodically for a number of policing functions including safeguarding Officers during public order and firearm incidents based on operational need and assessments. As such the mileages are low in comparison to other assets. Additional information cannot be provided due to operational sensitivities.
This renewal project has been ongoing for over a year as part of the strategic planning of the MPS and the decision to replace is not linked in any way to the current events being experienced in the capital.

Coronavirus social media Met Police

Unmesh Desai: Across the Met Police’s social media accounts (including Borough Command Unit accounts) how many posts were made relating to the policing of the Coronavirus crisis in each of the last 6 months?

The Mayor: We are able to provide specific keyword search data relating to the topics requested from the corporate Twitter account, the 32 borough Twitter accounts, and seven specialist unit Twitter accounts (for example, the Roads & Transport Policing Command) covering January to June 2020.
These 40 accounts are the most active and most followed Twitter accounts the MPS operate. The data provided relates solely to these accounts.
The MPS operates more than 1000 social media profiles across all major platforms including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, NextDoor and others.
Tweets from MPS Twitter Accounts (corporate, borough & specialist units) using the phrase “coronavirus” or “covid 19” (and variations thereof) in the past six months:

Stop and search social media Met Police

Unmesh Desai: Across the Met Police’s social media accounts (including Borough Command Unit accounts) how many posts were made relating to stop and search operations being carried out in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 so far?

The Mayor: We are able to provide specific keyword search data relating to the topics requested from the corporate Twitter account, the 32 borough Twitter accounts, and seven specialist unit Twitter accounts (for example, the Roads & Transport Policing Command) covering January to June 2020.
These 40 accounts are the most active and most followed Twitter accounts the MPS operate. The data provided relates solely to these accounts.
The MPS operates more than 1000 social media profiles across all major platforms including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, YouTube, NextDoor and others.
Tweets from MPS Twitter Accounts (corporate, borough & specialist units) using the phrases “stop and search” “section 60” (and variations thereof) in the past six months:

Policy on removal of drill music videos

Siân Berry: Could you tell me: a) how many drill music videos the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) has removed, or successfully requested be removed, from social media sites, and b) what the policy (formal or informal) is that the MPS uses to determine whether or not a drill music video should be removed?

The Mayor: The policy for removing drill music online sits with individual social media platforms, however the MPS approach social media sites to remove any genre of music if there is a threat of violence.
The number of referrals to social media sites and removals requested by the MPS are as follows:
Referrals by Year
Referrals
Removals
Refusals
2016
26
15
11
2017
20
13
7
2018
81
78
3
2019
110
107
3
2020
53
41
9

Use of cautions

Unmesh Desai: How many cautions were handed out by the Met in each of the past 12 months? If possible, please break this down by offence type.

The Mayor: Please see attached the requested data for the period specified. It should be noted that cautions are used to allow the police to deal quickly and proportionately with low level first time offending which can be more appropriately resolved without a prosecution at court.
Using cautions allows officers to spend more time on the frontline, tackling serious crime and provides an opportunity to provide reparation and a prompt resolution for victims.
When considering proceeding by way of caution, officers are mindful of an admission from the offender. They then review the context of the offence; the views of the victim in their support of a prosecution; the wider public interest test; any previous offending and the likelihood of its being effective in preventing further offending.
Simple cautions form part of an offender's criminal record and may be disclosed in future proceedings or to an employer, or as part of a DBS check.
The MPS Scrutiny Panel for Out of Court Disposals (OoCD) is well established and serves as a useful multi agency vehicle for reviewing police OoCD decisions.

Stop and search during lockdown (2)

Siân Berry: Regarding the high level of stop and search evident during lockdown, what personal protective equipment (PPE) do Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers employ to protect themselves and the people they are searching during this pandemic?

The Mayor: The Commissioner has assured me there is sufficient Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), including gloves and face masks, available for officers and police staff and this is reviewed on a daily basis. The Met’s policy on the use of PPE is aligned to national guidance provided by the National Police Chiefs Council, which is under review following recent changes to Government guidelines.
The guidance is specific to the role of officers and staff and the situations they encounter. All officers are expected to use their discretion and to dynamically assess each situation.
Currently, when officers cannot remain at least two metres away from members of the public they are advised to wear a protective face mask. Other equipment is available and will be necessary when close contact involves an individual showing symptoms, such as aprons, and potentially a fluid repellent suit.

Irritant Spray

Jennette Arnold: Please provide the demographic breakdown of suspects who have had irritant spray used on them by the MPS in each of the following years: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date.

The Mayor: Please see the tables below:
Age
2017 (Apr – Dec)
2018
2019
2020 (Jan – May)
Under 11
0
0
0
0
11-16
6
12
14
0
18-34
128
228
310
167
35-49
41
60
109
79
50-64
7
11
26
16
65+
0
0
0
0
Ethnicity
2017 (Apr – Dec)
2018
2019
2020 (Jan – May)
Asian
10
23
38
12
Black
90
155
216
127
Chinese
1
3
1
0
Mixed
4
11
16
9
White
73
117
176
117
Other
4
21
22
15

Stop and Search

Jennette Arnold: 43644 stop and searches were conducted in May. This is a 41.6% increase on the number of searches conducted in April and 83.2% rise on the number in March, when only 23,820 searches took place. Can you provide reassurances that the number of searches being conducted is not going to continue rising?

The Mayor: Any use of police powers must be lawful, proportionate and accountable. Every use of stop and search is individual and officers must take an operational view on whether to use it in every situation. I can assure you that my Deputy Mayor for Policing and Crime regularly reviews stop and search data and immediately raised the significant increase in the use of the powers during May with senior Met officers. The levels of stop and search fell by 31% in June 2020, but I am not complacent. I know how important it is that communities have confidence in policing and that is why I have asked my Deputy Mayors for Policing and Communities to work on an urgent new Action Plan for improving trust, accountability and transparency to be developed with communities and the police.

Faith in the police

Tony Devenish: Do you accept that Londoners who are having crimes going unsolved may lose faith in the police when they see them spending their time dancing with protesters and bending the knee to others?

The Mayor: Whilst confidence has declined in institutions across England and Wales over the last two years, 80 per cent of Londoners consistently say they trust the MPS. However, it is concerning to see a fall in the number of people who feel the police do a good a job locally. There are also gaps in levels of trust across London’s communities.
The police have also been under huge pressure, operating under successive years of central Government cuts, forcing the Met to deliver £850 million in savings since 2013-14.
So, it is welcome that London now has the greatest number of female and BAME officers ever, thanks to targeted recruitment. I’m also proud of the work we are doing to improve transparency, like the rollout of Body Worn Video. In the 12 months to December 2019, the downward trend in public confidence has started to stabilise.

Dog bites

Jennette Arnold: Please provide the demographic breakdown of suspects who have been bitten by a police dog in each of the following years: 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020 to date.

The Mayor: Electronic Data are only retained from 1-Apr-2018 previous data are not in an easily collectable form for 2017 and early 2018.
The below table sets out data from 1-Apr-2018 to 13-Jun-2020 relating to all dog bite incidents involving an MPS dog where a bite has occurred to a suspect.
IC Code
2018
2019
2020
Total
IC1
White European
44
84
33
161
IC2
Dark European
1
1
0
2
IC3
African-Caribbean
35
37
20
92
IC4
Asian
10
5
4
19
IC5
Chinese, Japanese, or other south east Asian
0
0
0
0
IC6
Arabian/Egyptian
0
0
1
1
Recorded Bites 1-Apr-2018 - 15-Jun-2020

Police officer training in mental health

Siân Berry: I understand that during the Certificate of Knowledge in Policing (CKP) course, students complete a mandatory one-hour National Centre for Applied Learning Technologies (NCALT) training session on mental health. Is a one-hour training session enough to learn how to respond to Londoners with complex needs, learning difficulties or autism?

The Mayor: The Certificate of Knowledge (CKP) content is governed by the College of Policing and covers the mandatory elements of learning that a new Constable must achieve to obtain their Certificate of Knowledge of Policing.
The MPS builds on this initial learning through the foundation course, contextualising the recruit’s understanding and awareness across a number of different elements in relation to mental health, in order that they can better support the communities that they police.
The CKP NCALT is not the sole source of training on this complex and important theme, nor is it meant to be. Examples of additional taught elements within the foundation course are:
Additionally, since 2004 the officer safety training received by both recruits and regularly by the wider workforce has featured scenario-based learning in relation to mental health crisis and the management of such situations without restraint, wherever possible.